If you’ve been watching the Democratic primary debates, you know that a lot of candidates say they know all about the student loan crisis because they too are still paying off student loans (it’s a pretty young batch, but still). So, of course, they’re all calling for student loan forgiveness.
Bernie Sanders’ senior policy advisor didn’t do her credibility any favors when she admitted she’s $180,000 in debt and pays $1,100 a month in student loan payments or half her rent. (Looks like she’s since deleted the tweet.) An actress who supports Sanders posted a video of a young woman who claims she’s carrying $226,000 in student loans while studying to be a speech pathologist.
As long as Democrats keep harping on student loan forgiveness as part of their platform (how about lowering tuition instead?) these stories are going to keep popping up everywhere. On Saturday, CNBC talked to a woman who has a half-million in student loans so she could earn her doctorate degree in naturopathic medicine and a master’s in acupuncture.
A master’s in acupuncture?
She has $500,000 in student loans, as more borrowers are saddled with six-figure balances. https://t.co/ehaUBKJHDA
— CNBC (@CNBC) August 3, 2019
Elisha Bokman has been out of school for eight years. Still, her student loan balance is half a million dollars.
Today, for her doctorate degree in naturopathic medicine and master’s in acupuncture from Bastyr University, she owes $499,322.69.
She and her husband struggled to buy a house because of her debt. Eventually, the financial stress led them to a divorce. “He felt like he couldn’t live his life or do the things he wanted to do,” Bokman, 38, said. She wanted to open her own medical practice, but she said her student debt prevents her from getting a business loan.
“It really effects the remainder of your life,” Bokman said. “There’s no out.”
There is a way out — making your student loan payments — but the best way out is not to go in that deep in the first place.
For a cool $500,000 YOU TOO can immerse YOUR child into an intolerant & sometimes hostile group think environment, whereupon they’ll be slowly indoctrinated with insane, & intellectually bereft ideas. https://t.co/UXpHRuXEgb
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) August 3, 2019
I worked three jobs and paid my way. How in the world was she even ALLOWED half a million dollars for school? And did she even get a degree – what was it?
— Patty (@patty78962) August 3, 2019
The whole thing needs to be re-thought. Get a trade -plumbers are the new cool!
— Sarah Middleton (@FairwaySarahM) August 3, 2019
I TOTALLY agree. 100%
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) August 3, 2019
I'd pay that for a doctorate in Whiteness Studies
— MobileInfantry (@InfantryMobile) August 3, 2019
There is a lot in this article about what they owe, and nothing about what they make. People HAVE to consider that before they borrow student loan money. Don't borrow 500K for God's sake. There isn't a degree in the world worth that much money.
— CarolinaCally (@callynt) August 3, 2019
The kicker is it's a junk degree in acupuncture and pseudosicence bullshit.
— Ben J. Berkowitz (@BANVRTRMP) August 3, 2019
Naturopathic medicine is a degree for people that are interested in medicine, but terrible at science and math.
— Charles J. LaPorta (@chuckjlaporta) August 3, 2019
"…doctorate degree in naturopathic medicine and master's in acupuncture…"
Tough finding a good-paying job when you have multiple degrees in quack medicine.
— Death's Guinea Pig 4.0 (@Bernie_Gilbert) August 3, 2019
Are we supposed to feel sorry, much less PAY, for someone making horrible choices? Guaranteed not all that loan money went to school expenses.
— mike houtz (@michaelhoutz) August 3, 2019
Come on!, those upscale crystals are getting pricey and the new gold anodized titanium acupuncture needles are exorbitant!!
— Berney Mangone (@enognam) August 3, 2019
Maybe they should’ve majored in economics or math https://t.co/xiSZrtHU1a
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) August 3, 2019
A reminder that Econ 101 ain’t what it used to be — @AOC has an economics degree from Boston!
— Roxanne Beckford Hoge (@RoxanneForAD46) August 3, 2019
Student debt is a human right
— Lex (@thc4autism) August 3, 2019
Guess who’s happiest about this pic.twitter.com/GTsy1JJ893
— JD (@realJDRico) August 3, 2019
A simple course in personal finance – sometime during high school – might have eliminated such a financially ignorant move on her part and on the parts of many thousands of former students caring so much debt. There is a solution but local schools must get the ball rolling.
— Daveeoeo (@daveeoeo) August 3, 2019
Perhaps consider the price of things before purchasing such things.
— Chris Hynes (@realchrishynes) August 3, 2019
Do economics and business majors take on this amount of school loan debt?
— Sam Valley (@SamValley) August 3, 2019
Why? No one forced her to take those loans. I took the loans I could afford and paid every dime on time and in full.
— onesoldiersmom ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@onesoldiersmom) August 3, 2019
Derp I didn’t know $500,000 would be hard to pay back.
— Justin (@_ThisJustin_) August 3, 2019
I'm sorry, but this is not the fault of the citizenry. This was her own poor judgement. When my wife and I went to undergrad and graduate school we made sound choices for our education. Including comparing and contrasting costs of different schools. This is her own damn fault.
— Will Gregory (@Shinobi1kenobii) August 3, 2019
I owe the government a cool quarter of a million for my med school loans, and I will march on Washington to prevent the progs from forgiving this fraudster's "educational" loans. My God.
— Dr. Sullivan, CMDR US Space Force (@DrSullyMedWoman) August 3, 2019
Some people are just beyond help.
— Joe Pilot, MD (@JoeSilverman7) August 3, 2019
“Saddled?” No one burdens someone with a loan. A loan is an OPPORTUNITY not something someone else DOES to you. A person CHOOSES to incur debt; at that time, in order to secure the loan they PROMISE to PAY IT BACK. Whose fault is that? The borrower or the lender? #Responsibility
— Montgomery Granger (@mjgranger1) August 3, 2019
Funny, I managed to get undergraduate and graduate degrees and end up with zero debt. Now, I'm supposed to pay her's? I don't think so.
— John Q. Public, MSA (@OHenrysStepchld) August 3, 2019
This women is a fool. I have zero sympathy.
— ??Nikki?? (@BlisszNikki) August 3, 2019
Does there ever come a point when enterprising journos look at how this debacle occurred?
— Alex Lekas (@TheAlexLekas) August 3, 2019
I’m not paying for her ridiculous degree.
— Evets ? (@TheofficialGump) August 3, 2019
Who borrows $500,000 to get a $70,000 a year job? These people need financial counseling not a bail out. https://t.co/57GStqwF6B Schools need to be accountable as well as blocking loans for Spring Break, cars, apartments…anything other than credit hours pic.twitter.com/3RnJaNLzUX
— Sassy (@sassylassee) August 3, 2019
Spot on. School is an investment towards future earnings. You don't invest a half a million to get back $70k/yr, that's lunacy.
— Brian Cartwright (@blcartwright) August 3, 2019
The story doesn’t even reveal what job she has now, but she can’t open a medical practice because of her horrible credit rating, so our guess is she’s not even practicing naturopathic medicine.
I demand to know who forced this lady to sign a loan contract!! They must be brought to justice.
— DJ Seph (@DJ__Seph) August 3, 2019
Do I have to get a bunch more likes for the same answer to the same story again? She is not a horse. She decided to be saddled. We learn by our mistakes- not by what we are gifted. A free ride for bad choices leads to poverty for all. The freeloader whistling all the way. pic.twitter.com/MAAHbS2ROp
— Michael H ?? (@Michael75868157) August 3, 2019
Related:
AOC argues that 'student loans are a scam' because she's apparently too stupid and lazy to pay hers back https://t.co/Ot0zspYttT
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 24, 2019
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